Corticosterone regulates fear memory via Rac1 activity in the hippocampus

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol. 71; pp. 86 - 93
• Main Authors: Gan, Ping, Ding, Ze-Yang, Gan, Chen, Mao, Rong-Rong, Zhou, Heng, Xu, Lin, Zhou, Qi-Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - blood; Corticosterone - metabolism; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Fear - drug effects; Fear - physiology; Fear - psychology; Fear memory; Foot shocks; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - metabolism; Male; Memory - drug effects; Memory - physiology; Memory Disorders - metabolism; Psychiatry; rac1 GTP-Binding Protein - genetics; rac1 GTP-Binding Protein - metabolism; rac1 GTP-Binding Protein - physiology; Rac1-GTP; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Glucocorticoid - metabolism; Stress; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; glucocorticoid receptor; G-protein coupled receptors; MR; FSs; Rac1-GTP; GR; mineralocorticoid receptor; Stress; CORT; Fear memory; HPA; GPCR; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical; corticosterone; foot shocks; Hippocampus; Foot shocks; Corticosterone
• ISSN: 0306-4530; 1873-3360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.05.011

Highlights • Stress generates fear-specific memories and G-protein Rac1 may play a role in this. • Stress and exogenous corticosterone downregulated activity Rac1. • RU38486, glucocorticoid receptor agonist, recovered activity Rac1 and decreased memory. • The glucocorticoid receptor inhibitor NSC23766 increased fear memory retrieval. • Rac1 may thus be therapeutic targets in stress and memory disorders.